


the dark fallen

by mistspren



Category: Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
Genre: Alternate Ending, Gen, Short, i'm sorry for putting so many character tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 02:51:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10912803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistspren/pseuds/mistspren
Summary: The Dark and the Light are balanced, both at their greatest strength in centuries, and ready to tear each other to shreds. The Light cannot win in this stalemate. But Merriman has a plan.This is kind of an alternate ending to the series, based off of a dream I had once. It's not canon-compliant and not very well thought through. I had fun.





	the dark fallen

“On this night,” Merriman told them, “the Light and the Dark are perfectly balanced. Both are at the peak of their power, and neither may overcome the other, unless they are somehow able to gain. The Dark will not let us gain if they can help it. But the Dark is greedy, and we will use this to our advantage.”  
“How?” Barney asked.  
“We are going to give them the Signs.”  
“But-” said Barney, and “no,” said Jane, and “why?” asked Simon. Will smiled and said nothing. He knew what Merriman had planned.  
And Merriman told them.

The three children stood before three of the Dark. Jane faced the White Rider, Simon the Black, and Barney stood before the painter from the village. He was the essential part of the plan. For the painter possessed the Dark’s greatest weakness: greed. He was their loose end. And he would be the one to make them fall.

Simon took a deep breath, dispelling anxiety, gathering his will. He held the Sign of Water in front of him, and said in a clear voice: “To the Black Rider I present this thing of power.” The Black Rider took it, his face a mask of surprise, but keeping his composure.  
They can’t do anything without full half of the circle, Merriman had said. Simon trusted Merriman.

Jane held in front of her the Sign of Wood. “To the White Rider I present this thing of power.” The White Rider took it, smiling at Jane, but with a hint of fear in her face. She knew the Light wouldn’t give up so easily. And she was right.  
They will not get half, Merriman had said. And Barney is the key.

Barney, last of three children, smallest of three Agents of the Light, stood in front of the painter. He held the Sign of Stone in front of him.  
And the painter took it.  
Barney took a moment to delight in the sudden shriek of the White and Black Riders before the painter’s arms began to shrivel.  
The Dark cannot take anything of the Light’s without invitation, Merriman had said. But our painter has greed enough for three. He is impatient.  
And he will take the Sign.

And at that moment, as the Dark lost an agent and half of the circle of Signs, the Light struck. Merriman and Will were there, doing… something, and Bran was there too, and…

The children were never quite sure what had happened, after that. Something had happened, and it had been a great something, full of light and glory and power and sound, and the Dark had receded and the Light had risen, for once and for ever. And as the children saw, or didn’t see, what was happening around them, they thought for a minute that they could hear a strain of the sweetest music in the world…

And then it was over, and they had won. Barney laughed, and hugged Simon, and Simon picked him up and spun him in a circle. Jane ran to Will and squeezed him, and then they all were together, all six, in a pile of hugs, limbs, and laughter.


End file.
